


watch it burn and rust

by delimeful



Series: sit back and watch the world go by [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Aliens, Alternate Universe - Space, Blood, Captivity, Gen, Humans are Scary, Hurt/Comfort, Language Barrier, Nightmares, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Patton is Small, Space Australians - Freeform, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-10-17 13:16:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20621636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delimeful/pseuds/delimeful
Summary: Abducted by smugglers, Patton finds himself stuck in a cell with one of the most famous and bloodthirsty kind of deathworlders out there, a Human.





	1. first encounter

Patton woke up to his feet being dragged over slick metal flooring, and the pain along what seemed like every inch of him. On either side of him, footsteps and hands pulling him along.

He moaned, and someone’s grip on his arm tightened, a voice demanding he shut up in a sharp bark of Common. It wasn’t much of a threat. He doubted they could do much else to scare him at this point, not after- 

The thought stung even as he cut it off sharply, trying to hold back a sob. 

He’d forced himself into optimism day after day while stuck on the smugglers’ ship, hidden somewhere in the backwater corners of some mostly-barren nebula, but this was it. This was the point where he couldn’t fool himself anymore. 

They’d stripped him of his coat, the gossamer feathers that lined his limbs and back torn away. It was the only reason they’d taken him in the first place; Ampens were common enough that they didn’t sell well and so smugglers didn’t often target them. It just so happened that he was one of the rare few with bright, phosphorescent plumage. 

He’d been so proud of it, too, before this. Always happy to make his feathers glow iridescent for the kids or the sake of a bad pun. 

Now, they were what had gotten him into this mess, and they were what was going to ensure he never got out of it. Ampens weren’t designed to be plucked. His feathers were meant to let him siphon energy from the air. Without them, he would need to be touching someone directly to feed, and smugglers weren’t known for being cuddly with their victims. 

He’d heard the stories, tragic cautionary tales about captured Ampens wasting away from illness in solitary cages. He’d just never thought that would be how he went out. He’d always had more than enough energy with his shipmates around, even if Roman was the more tactile one. 

“Okay, this one.” The smuggler holding his left arm came to a stop in front of one of the doors in the cold hallway. The other one stopped a beat late, jerking Patton’s tender right arm painfully. 

“What? Isn’t this the Human’s cell?” They asked, uncertain. 

Patton felt the soft, fur-like down along the back of his neck and spine rise in alarm. Human? 

“Yeah, weren’t you paying attention? Ampens don’t have a shelf life, and we all know how Humans are. It’ll get rid of this one, we won’t have as much trouble managing it for a bit. Two problems solved at once.” 

The second smuggler responded, but the words were static in Patton’s ears. They were going to leave him with a Human. How had they even _captured_ a Human? 

A rusty screech made him jerk his head up, and he realized the door had been opened just in time to be harshly shoved through. He hit the ground with a thud, scraping his legs and seconds later there was a slam and the lock clicked into place. 

He scrambled to his feet, clawing at the door hopelessly for a minute before a rustle made him turn and flatten himself against the wall.

The Human was large, not the biggest he’d ever seen, but definitely much larger than him. It was said that Humans could take down creatures twice or even thrice their size, though, so it really didn’t matter how big it was. It was half-crouched in the shade, most of its features completely obscured, but he could see the smooth, near-hairless skin even in the dark. 

Patton remained frozen. He’d heard that Humans didn’t have the same sight abilities as other creatures on their planet, so maybe he would be safe if he didn’t attract it’s attention…? 

There was a long, low exhale from the corner, and the Human lowered itself, somehow fading back even further into the corner until it was visible only as the barest shape.

He hardly dared to breathe. Was it truly that easy? Humans were bloodthirsty, cruel deathworlders. They ran off some of the most potent chemical combinations in the universe, and some of the most infamous massacres were due to Humans fighting brutally to the last. 

Moments passed, and he slowly sunk down, bit by bit, to the floor. The Human didn’t stir, and he sat there, wondering how he was going to handle all this, until his eyes drooped shut despite his best efforts.

When he woke, it was to the sound of a slot in the door clanging against a rations tray, which fell into his lap like a death sentence. He slowly looked up, and found that the Human was slightly more visible. 

And looking directly at him. 

It didn’t bare it’s bone-teeth or anything, but the gaze was unmistakably pinning him down. A low click of terror escaped him, and the Human tilted its head ever so slightly. After a moment, it clicked back. 

Patton had known that Humans had stunning mimicry skills, but it was bizarre to see it up close. He stared, eyes wide, until the Human’s gaze flicked down to the tray in their hands. He managed to stifle his instinct to throw the offending object far away from himself, but just barely. He was not getting in between a Human and what it wanted, no matter how long it had been since he’d eaten. 

Instead, he mechanically lifted it, setting it to the side and pushing it, slowly, in the Human’s direction. Away from him. 

“Your food.” He said under his breath, carefully sliding himself back until he found a corner, directly across from the Human’s corner. 

The Human watched him with those dark eyes for a moment longer, and then rose to its terrifying full height and walked to the rations, movements sharp and purposeful. 

Patton was sure to avoid eye contact as it reached the package. There was a long moment of rustling and tearing, and then-

“Your… food.” A raspy chur-and-click, replicated clumsily from his own earlier. He looked over, startled that the Human had heard his earlier muttering, and the Human shoved the tray, now open, once in his direction. 

He must have stared for too long, because the Human flushed a strange red and slowly returned to its corner, never turning its back to Patton. He chose to believe that pinched expression didn’t mean anything too bad, seeing as he hadn’t been outright attacked. He shuffled carefully over to the tray.

It was a bit early to start hoping, but as he carefully took a bite from the halved rations, Patton found himself wondering if he’d survive this encounter after all. 

—

There wasn’t much to do but think and sleep when one was captured by smugglers and left in their cold, featureless cells. Seeing as Patton’s thoughts always managed to wander back to the stressful Human enigma across the small room, he spent a significant amount of time sleeping instead. 

It was nerve-wracking the first few times, expecting to be attacked at any moment. He woke at the slightest sound, leaving him restless. But every time he bolted upright, the Human was still crouched in its own corner, looking for all the world like it hadn’t moved an inch. 

After a while, he started sleeping more soundly, though whether that was due to the Human’s predictability or his own fatigue was anyone’s guess. As such, he didn’t realize the Human had moved until the soft sensation of strange textile cloth suddenly draped over his sensitive skin. 

He woke immediately, thrashing, because the last time someone had touched him it had been the most agonizing experience of his life, and then the Human was pressing down on him, keeping him immobilized. He twitched against the immense force, but the Human must have run into Ampens before, because the fabric created a barrier between its hands and Patton. He couldn’t take any energy without direct contact, and he’d barely had any to start with. There was no winning this fight.

Patton felt his body go limp, drained from the struggle, and waited for the pressure to increase, crush him until he was no more. 

Instead, the pressure lightened significantly, a muted exhale coming from above him. What? Prehensile fingers wrapped around his sides and pulled, dragging him over to the wrong corner, the one swathed in shadow. Patton’s antennae twitched anxiously. What was it going to do, disembowel him? Stars, couldn’t it just be done with it already? 

A heartbeat later, the Human backed off, turning to the door and, for the first time, exposing its back to Patton.

Before he could even begin to process that, the door swung open heavily, and four smugglers crowded into the room. They all wore heavy dark bodysuits, and held rods that crackled menacingly with energy. They surrounded the Human, who hadn’t even looked in his direction, and one of them pressed a tranq patch against its neck, making it turn and snap its teeth harshly, face thunderous. 

The others lifted their weapons, but moments later the Human’s legs folded out from beneath it, meaning that the patch had probably had enough drugs on it to kill Patton seven times over. 

“He certainly went easier than usual today.” One commented, voice distorted by their mask. They seemed to be staring at the Human’s fallen body curiously.

Another snorted, grabbing one of the Human’s limbs and pulling. 

“We gave it an Ampen the other day. Probably still feels sated from tearing that apart. Now, do your job. We don’t have forever and Humans are dense creatures.”

“Yes, yes.” 

Patton remained still and silent as the others assisted, hauling the Human up and carrying it- him? out of the cell, the door swinging shut behind them. 

He slowly dragged himself from under the fabric, turning his head to investigate it curiously. It wasn’t the Human’s shed skin, so it was probably an article of clothing he had been wearing. Why put it over Patton and then leave? Many Humans had keen ears, the Human probably heard the guards coming, so why attack then? Could something so ineffective even really be called an attack? 

There were no answers easily forthcoming, and the dark fabric was strangely warm, so Patton curled up and waited for someone to return.

Ampens weren’t known for their keen physical senses, but he strained to keep his ears open, and when footsteps approached the cell, he immediately pulled his head back under the Human cloth. 

It was only after the door had been opened, a body roughly tossed in, and then slammed shut again that Patton wondered how wise it was to continue using something that clearly belonged to the Human. Was it even the Human who had been brought back to the cell? He couldn’t imagine many scenarios that could be scarier than this had already been, beyond maybe another, unknown Human. 

He dared to look out past the cloth, and froze in astonishment. The Human was flat on his back, head turned towards Patton but eyes barely focused. Right, they probably didn’t transport him anywhere without drugging him out of his mind. He carefully crept over, closer than he’d ever dared to come before. 

It took him awhile to realize why the Human looked different: more of his odd skin was exposed from shedding the cloth earlier. He resisted the urge to reach out and touch, take energy to fill up the sickening void within him, knowing that doing such a thing might break the fragile truce he’d forged with the Human. 

The Human took a long moment, and then seemed to finally register Patton’s presence. His face twitched into an almost-snarl, but the motion ended as soon as it began. Instead, he let out a long, low sigh, and his head lolled back.

Patton, like most in his nebula, didn’t know anything about Human body language beyond ‘if it looks at you, run’, so he could only assume that this was some sort of threat display out of anger or unhappiness at his current state. He scrambled back a bit to give the Human space, and then grabbed the cloth, bringing it over and even daring to gently drape it over the Human before darting back again. 

The poor thing had no insulation built into his skin, it was no wonder he had all these outer layers for warmth. Patton slowly retreated to his own corner, wondering why the Human had used it on him. Maybe the lack of feathers made him worry that Patton was uninsulated as well? 

It wasn’t exactly what anyone would expect a Human to do- they weren’t known for rampant mothering instincts- but Patton hoped that it was true regardless. After all, all he had now was his optimism. 


	2. reaching out

The next time the Human approached directly, it was when Patton was awake, and hence, completely alarmed at the unexpected change in routine.

He scuttled backwards, as close to the ground as he could manage, and choked out a stuttered apology in his own language despite knowing the Human wouldn’t understand. 

Surprisingly, though, the Human came to a stop a few feet away, going still at his panicked motions. Patton took a moment to fret over possibly triggering the Human’s prey drive before the being in question crouched, peering at Patton intently before holding up the cloth he normally had wrapped around himself. 

Patton straightened up slightly, head titled in bewilderment. The crouch hadn’t been predatory, simply a way to reduce the distance between them, and he thought he had a good enough grip on the Human’s expressions to tell that he wasn’t angry, so… what was he trying to communicate? 

The Human swallowed, and after a few false starts, actually spoke. 

“Hide.” He rasped out in broken Common, lifting the cloth further. “Hide?” 

Patton stared with wide eyes, and the Human looked over his shoulder, brow furrowed. Patton followed his gaze to the cell door. 

“Hide bad guards.” The Human said, voice taking on a more desperate tint. He headed back towards his corner, and then turned to stare at Patton imploringly. He patted the ground, beckoning the other over to the darker corner.

Patton strained his ears. He might have been imagining it, but it seemed like the Human had heard the telltale footsteps of their captors approaching again. He scrambled to his feet and then wobbled as spots danced before his eyes. He was bone-tired, and running towards a Human was the last thing one should do, but… what did he really have to lose, at this point?

He definitely could hear footsteps in the corridor now, and quickly hurried over to the Human, who gave his short-low-sigh of relief. He draped the cloth over Patton, muttering nervously in Common so stilted Patton almost couldn’t understand. Even the words he could make out were hard to grasp, the sentences nearly nonsensical.

“Hide you, hide you. Fight. Human fight guards. Sorry.” 

As soon as he was settled under the fabric, the Human placed a finger to his lips in a gesture Patton didn’t recognize, and hurried to the side of the door. Patton ducked his head down belatedly, watching tensely as the footsteps grew closer. 

The door swung open, and the Human flung himself at the first guard a heartbeat later, tearing at the protective suit they were wearing. Patton whistled softly in shock, but luckily, the sound was lost in the yelling of all the others, including the Human, who was making a heavy, hoarse yell of anger. 

The guard folded like a house of cards under the blows, but before they hit the ground, the one behind them was jabbing out with a crackling rod. As soon as it made contact with Patton’s Human, his howl rose in volume, becoming a shriek of pain, and he spasmed once before collapsing. Patton’s hearts felt like they were going to race right out of him, and he only barely managed to stay hidden as the Human met his gaze from across the cell. 

His eyes were clear of the haze of fury or terror, instead looking calm and almost… resigned. He hissed through his teeth but didn’t attack again when one of the braver guards kicked at him, distracting him long enough for the other to slap another one of those patches on him. It took longer for them to leave with one guard so clearly injured, but before long Patton was left alone once more. 

His head reeled from all the new information. The Human had been hiding him from the guards both now and before, using the dark garment that let him stay near-invisible in the shadows. Why? Patton wasn’t useful to the Human, couldn’t provide anything. All he did was take up space, sleeping in his corner. There was no evidence that the Human was planning anything malicious at all through keeping him hidden from the guards, which could only mean that… 

That the Human was protecting him. 

He could almost hear his shipmates’ voices in his head, telling him not to get too far ahead of himself, but he was already astonished at the very idea. The Human using his own things to hide him, starting a fight he didn’t intend to win to draw the guards’ attention from him, the way he left half the food out for Patton even though his appetite had been waning as his illness progressed… Viewed through the lense of the Human trying to keep him safe, they all made sense! 

He curled up further in the fabric, wondering if maybe the Human would let him take some energy. He’d been too stunned to speak earlier, but the fact that the Human knew basic Common was a good sign. They could communicate, if the Human was willing. 

Ages later, the Human was finally returned, in considerably worse shape. 

Patton hurried out from his hiding spot, knowing that if he’d still had his outer feathers, they’d be bristling with alarm. The Human was sprawled out on the floor, limbs shaking as he choked out pained breaths, neck spasming and bumping his head painfully against the ground. Whatever the Human was drugged with, it clearly didn’t involve painkillers, every exhale a pitiful whine of agony. His eyes were dilated and unfocused, and everything in Patton screamed at him that this was dangerous, he needed to get away, but- 

This was his Human now. He might have even gotten more hurt than before because he was protecting Patton. He couldn’t just leave him alone in pain. 

He crept forwards, carrying the Human’s covering with him, and carefully pushed it around his head, cushioning it from the hard ground below. The Human barely seemed to notice as Patton set a proper barrier between him and the Human. 

It was tempting, so tempting, to try and take energy, but he didn’t know anything about Humans. Some species took to Ampens’ feeding habits better than others. Trying to take the Human’s energy while he was injured could worsen his state, or prevent him from healing right, which was the opposite of what Patton wanted.

Instead, he carefully curled himself around the hoodie and by extension, the Human’s head, keeping it from jerking around as he shook. The Human was still making those soft noises of pain with every breath, and Patton began to make the soft chirp-and-coo pattern that he used to soothe panicked kits. He didn’t know if it helped, but after what felt like an eternity, the Human seemed to finally settle into unconsciousness. 

Patton moved the cloth to drape over his bared skin the way he normally wore it, wishing he knew more about how Humans worked. He couldn’t tell if his Human was just resting to heal or if he was seriously injured, and he wouldn’t know until the other woke. If the other woke. He settled into his corner to wait, watching the mystifyingly slow rise and fall of his chest, hoping that the Human would pull through.

He’d been on the brink of dozing when the Human finally came to. He woke without any sound, which was a bit eerie, seeing as Patton could tell his movements were all super clearly painful. Then again, waking up silent no matter what would probably help when one lived on a deathworld. Honestly, it was a miracle Patton himself hadn’t been considered a hostile with paranoia like that.

The Human sat up, wincing as he went. He mumbled something in his own language, rubbing at his neck tiredly, and then blinking once he noticed Patton was awake and looking at him. Immediately, he became more tense, eyes widening. 

Patton drooped his antennae, making himself smaller, but didn’t look away. 

“Are you okay? Still hurt?” He chirped in Common, keeping his voice low. 

The Human jerked back slightly, and then bared his teeth, eyes slightly wild. “Talk? You talk?” 

Oh no. Five words in, and he’d already upset him! He flattened himself to the floor. “Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to offend!” 

The Human dropped his expression, pressing his lips together with a sound of realization. “No, no. Sorry.” He pulled a lip up, showing his teeth slightly. “No bad. Human….” He made a gesture with his hands. 

“Not bad? Good?” Patton echoed. “You… you aren’t mad?” 

The Human nodded, keeping his teeth concealed this time. As Patton kept talking, though, his expression dimmed slightly. 

“No… “ He said a few words in Human and gestured to his mouth, frustrated. “Bad.” 

“You can’t speak Common well?” Patton imitated the Human’s nod. “It’s okay. You need sleep. Rest and help your injuries. Stop hurting.” 

When the Human seemed hesitant, Patton curled up himself, miming resting. “It’s okay. I’ll sleep, too. Talk after rest?” 

His Human nodded, slowly, and Patton fell asleep before the Human had even finished settling down.

–

_Heavy gloved hands holding him down, tearing at his coat and leaving trails of fiery pain behind. He twists and struggles to get free, but there’s no energy left in him and he’s only hurt more as punishment._

_That doesn’t matter though, because he can see the cages not too far away, can see his shipmates locked inside. Knows deep down that it’s his fault they were found, captured. _

_Please please please, let them go, he’ll do anything, he’ll stay and be good, _please-

_Even as he watches, they’re attacked by the guards’ crackling rods, crying out for help. He thrashes and screams but he can’t escape, can only watch as they’re taken away from him- _

He woke up with a cry, and the low, crooning sobs tore through him uncontrollably. He missed them so much. He wondered if they were still looking for him, if Roman was being reckless, Logan losing sleep. Who was going to take care of them now that he was gone? 

Something moved in the corner of his vision, and he jerked his head up, heart rate increasing as a large figure draped in shadow moved closer. Dizziness overwhelmed his senses, his vision blurring. A small part of him knew, recognized the shape, but more of him was seeing the guards in their dark suits, coming back for him, to take everything from him- 

A soft, familiar pattern sounded softly by him, pulling him from his spiral slowly but surely. Guards didn’t make that sound. It was a chirp and a coo, repeated softly to soothe those in distress. He’d used it before, on… the Human. 

He slowly lifted his head, seeing the large figure closer than he had expected, but also… smaller? The Human had laid down flat on his front, he realized, mimicking the flattening that Patton always did to be non threatening. He’d made himself smaller, and was still mimicking that gentle pattern, eyes lowered. He remembered when Patton had soothed him. He was trying to help. 

Patton felt his hearts swell, letting out a nonsense string of thank-you’s and apologies in his own language, on the edge of tears. The Human repeated the pattern a bit more urgently, probably mistaking his joy for upset, and Patton finally set one small, clawed hand on top of the Human’s sleeved arm. “Thank you, Human.” 

The Human sighed in relief at the Common, and then seemed to blink in astonishment once he realized what had been said. “Virgil.” He blurted, and Patton blinked, trying to figure out if that was Common. 

The Human pointed at himself, face turning slightly red. “Virgil. Virgil.” 

Patton perked up. “Oh! That’s your name? I’m Patton!” 

Virgil stared, processing, and Patton pointed at himself to make it easier. “Patton.” 

“Patton?” Virgil imitated the clicks that made up his name, and then bared his teeth again. Not bad, Patton remembered. A happy Human expression? He wiggled in his own form of excitement. 

Virgil sat up slightly, hesitated for a long moment, and then reached a hand out. For a second, Patton saw the past instead of the present, felt panic rattling in his bones, but… it was just Virgil. Just his strange, kind Human.

He reached out with his own hand, marveling at how different they were in size, and gently grabbed on. Immediately, he felt a bright, strong energy, the sort that would have turned heads in any Ampen town. His body felt lighter, less burdened by artificial gravity, and he couldn’t help but chirp in delight and practically throw himself at Virgil. There was a small ‘oomph’ and for a moment, Patton worried about overstepping, but then hands hesitantly rose to support him, cuddling him lightly against the human’s chest. 

The Human ran hot, and he vibrated with happiness as the cold, aching feeling in him melted away. He’d gotten so used to feeling empty all this time, and now he was whole, energy returning to him as though it had never left. 

Virgil shifted, leaning against the wall and running his fingers gently along Patton’s back, the slightest touch. It was nothing like what the smugglers had done, nothing like what anyone would expect of a deathworlder. 

For the first time since he’d been captured, Patton felt safe. 


	3. trust

They stayed like that, curled up against the wall in an almost-hug, for what seemed like hours. Patton was too blissed out to worry about being overbearing, a low purr curling from his throat, and so the cuddling continued until Virgil’s hand slid off his back.

He peered up, curious, and was alarmed to see that the Human’s eyes were closed, his body gone limp. Panic rushed through him; had Virgil had some kind of negative reaction? No Ampen had done this to a Human and lived before! 

He hesitated, and then stretched up and patted at Virgil’s cheeks, careful not to poke too hard. For creatures that could survive near anything, Humans were so soft. 

“Virgil. Virgil!” He called, the name twisting oddly in his mouth. “Wake up!” 

“Patt’n?” His Human mumbled, turning his head away from the insistent pats. His eyelids kept drooping, even as he struggled to stay awake, eyes darting around. “Danger?” 

“No… but, are you okay?” Patton pressed his ear to Virgil, hearing a concerningly small number of heartbeats. “Sick?” 

Virgil quirked the ends of his lips. “No. Rest. Sleep. It’s okay.” 

He leaned his head back again, curling his arms a little more around Patton as he fell back to sleep. Sleepiness wasn’t a common reaction, but it wasn’t really dangerous. He still worried, but supposed that Virgil would know his own limits best. Even so, he kept the flow of energy cut off as he sank into a content sleep himself. 

He got more worried after Virgil ended up asleep for way longer than normal, but once the Human finally woke up, he didn’t seem all that concerned. 

“Patton?” He asked, staring across the room where Patton was sitting, antennae flat against his skull. “Okay?” 

“No.” Patton answered miserably in Common, and Virgil straightened, scanning the room. “I’m sorry… You were asleep for so long because of me.” 

“Um… sleep okay?” Virgil responded, uncertain. “No bad.” 

Patton shook his head, willing the Human to understand. “My fault. I stole energy from you. I’m sorry, Virgil.” 

There was a pause while Virgil mouthed a few of the words, before the sentence seemed to click. “Ah! Ampen, yeah? Sick?” 

Patton blinked. Virgil… knew about his species already? 

“No hurt. Sleep. Okay, to…” Virgil’s eyes flicked back and forth, as though searching for a word. “Help! Okay to help you. Sleep okay.” 

He did that lip curl again, eyes creasing slightly, and Patton was overcome with gratitude and fondness. He choked out a stifled half-sob of relief, and the expression dropped off Virgil’s face. 

“Sorry, sorry-“ Virgil frantically tried the soothing Ampen call, and Patton shook his head again, scrambling back over to the Human’s space. He grabbed Virgil’s shaky hand, looking up at his strange brown eyes earnestly. 

“I’m happy. You’re very kind, Virgil.” 

Near-instantly, Virgil’s face changed to that blazing red-pink, and he ducked his head. “No, no.” 

“Yes, yes!” Patton crowed back, struck with the delightful revelation that the red expression meant _embarrassment. _“You are kind and nice and soft, and you- you helped me.” His voice cracked. “You helped me. Thank you.” 

“You… help, too.” Virgil muttered, chin still tucked against his chest. “Before you come, no talk… Human, Ampen, guard. No talk. No help. No…” He touched Patton’s hand, feather-light. 

His hearts ached. “We help each other now. Yeah?” 

Virgil did the half-smile. “Yeah.” 

—-

Things after that settled into a sort of rhythm. 

His corner long abandoned, Patton found comfort in just laying next to Virgil, who never seemed bothered at all by the companionship. It was nice, knowing that there was someone on this ship that actually cared about him. The fact that that someone just so happened to be a Human was just a hilarious and reassuring bonus. 

Whenever they were both awake, they practiced speaking. Virgil was a quick learner, now that he was actually being taught, rather than puzzling out bits and pieces of the language himself. He often asked about what the word was like in Patton’s home language as well, doing his best to mimic the sounds despite his vocal chords not being built for such things. Patton was touched, and over time, picked up a few Human words as well. 

They talked for hours, until one of them (generally Virgil) got tired, and as Virgil’s sentences became smoother, fuller, Patton learned more and more about Humans, or at least his Human. They only had one heart, though it was huge compared to all seven of Patton’s. The teeth-baring and lip-curling was the Human version of a smile, and they had no antennae or feathers or fur for warmth, other than the hair on their head. Virgil’s was a faded purple, and it didn’t change unless he dyed it with chemicals from his home. 

Virgil spoke about home a lot. He made it sound a lot less threatening than Patton suspected it really was, but it was clear that the Human missed it. He’d never gotten to see the surface of other worlds, being abducted and trapped from his first moment in space. For Patton, who had known since a young age that he wanted to wander the galaxy, it was a hard concept to grasp. 

In return, he shared details about his home, local phrases in his own language, the children he often watched while visiting. He was hesitant at first, worried about oversharing, but Virgil soaked the stories up like a sponge, asking his own questions at the end. It sort of reminded Patton of Logan, and he felt a pang at the thought of his friend, who would surely be delighted at all the new information about a mysterious and difficult to study species like Humans.

Patton didn’t talk about them, keeping all those thoughts tucked deep inside his chest. In some small way, he still hoped that they’d find him, that Virgil could meet them properly and get to know them firsthand. 

Every time the guards came to retrieve Virgil, though, his hope was tested. The Human always put up a cursory fight, thrashed and struggled if it seemed like the smugglers were going to look in the corner where Patton was hidden, seemingly uncaring of the paralyzing shocks he received in return. It made him shake with rage and upset on Virgil’s behalf.

He came back weak and sometimes ill, and never volunteered any information about where he was taken. Patton silently wondered what in the world they could be taking from a Human, but never asked, only curling up with him and comforting him with their familiar tune.

It was a bit after such a time that Virgil drew Patton’s attention to something he should have realized long before. His hand paused in its aimless petting, and he gently rubbed a thumb over something, making Patton shiver and look up in confusion. 

“You have… um, sharp, small things.” He offered tentatively, staring at Patton’s back. 

It took a long second to understand, and then Patton shuffled his shoulders, feeling out the follicles. His face lit up. “My pinfeathers!”

“Your what?” Virgil asked, brow still wrinkled in the Human expression for concern. 

“Pinfeathers! They’re coming in, my feathers are growing back!” He tried to rattle the pinfeathers, but found they were still too short, barely emerged. Now that he knew, they itched like crazy. He resisted the urge to tug at them, knowing that splattering blood all over the cell was the last thing they needed.

“Good? Good!” Virgil encouraged, still a bit confused. “That not normal?” 

Patton hesitated, the blind joy fading. “They… the smugglers took them from me. Most Ampens can’t grow them back in captivity. Can’t touch when trapped.” His were growing back, though. 

They were going to tear all of them out again. 

He didn’t realize he had voiced the thought aloud until Virgil made a low, upset sound in his throat. It was more feral than most of the noises he made, and when Patton turned to look, the Human seemed furious. “_No._ No. They don’t touch you.” 

Patton nodded, still a bit shaky. “Right. I’ll hide.” 

“I’ll keep you safe. Promise.” Virgil said, calling on a Human oath word. Patton felt some of the terror rescind, burying his face into Virgil’s shirt. They’d be okay, he told himself resolutely. 

And for a while, they were. 

His pinfeathers continued to grow, bolstered by Virgil’s tendency to constantly have some part of him touching Patton, as though worried the Ampen would disappear if he lost contact. They traded histories, myths, and then songs, which made Virgil go that red-pink again but he shared the Human melodies despite his shyness. He talked about Human music with a desperate sort of longing, and Patton listened to his recreations with attentiveness, memorizing the notes. 

He whistled them sometimes, after Virgil was thrown back into their cell, so long as his throat wasn’t too closed up to get the sound out. He tried not to let Virgil see how upset he was, since it made the Human upset as well, but every time he came back incoherent and in pain, Patton’s hearts broke a little more. 

In contrast with the snarling visage that always greeted the guards, Virgil was exceedingly careful with Patton, especially after he mentioned that the pinfeathers could break and lead to excessive bleeding if he didn’t notice the break right away. It was endearing to watch him ghost his hands around as though Patton was made of glass, and then freak out when he absentmindedly brushed a hand over him and the pinfeather sheaths began to crumble right off. 

After Patton managed to calm him down (and what an odd thought, him calming down a Human), he began the repetitive process of working the dried-up covers off his feathers, internally delighting every time one was fully revealed. He’d never been particularly vain about them, but after thinking he was going to die in their absence, he found himself relieved by their proper return.

Virgil watched him carefully even after being reassured that getting rid of the old pinfeathers was a normal part of the process, eyes intent in a way that Patton would have called predatory at the beginning of their relationship. He knew better now, and offered him a few of the more intact sheaths to sate his worry and curiosity. 

Eventually, most of his feathers were free, finally regrown and fully-formed. He shook himself off, the last flakes of the pinfeathers falling from him, and fluffed up like a hatchling in his excitement. 

“Look, look!” He circled Virgil joyfully, showing him the way the feathers glowed in the shadows. “Pretty cool, huh kiddo?”

“Very cool.” Virgil said, a small grin on his face. “Are they, um… broken easy?” 

“Delicate?” Patton provided, and Virgil nodded. “No, they’re pretty strong! Here, feel.” 

Virgil hesitated, going stiff, and Patton tilted his head with a worried warble, retracting his feathers slightly. “Virgil?” 

“You… want me to touch?” He asked. “You sure?” 

“Yeah! Why wouldn’t I?” 

There was a long moment of silence, and Virgil shifted awkwardly against the wall. “You said… before… Ampen need touch if they don’t have feathers. You have feathers now, so you don’t have to…” He hummed in frustration, trying to find the words. “…It’s okay if you want to not be touched. I won’t hurt you, or be mad. Promise.” 

Understanding finally hit Patton, and guilt a moment later. Of _course _Virgil had noticed Patton’s skittish behavior when they were first stuck in here together, he noticed much more than he ever let on. He must have assumed that Patton’s mannerisms had only changed because he thought that was the only way to survive with a Human. 

“Oh, Virgil… I don’t think you would hurt me.” Patton said, reaching out and patting his leg gently. “I was scared before because I didn’t know you. I only knew all the bad rumors I’d heard, and I let that cloud my opinion of you. We’re… I want to be your friend. You’re not a bad person, and I don’t think you’d ever hurt me, okay?” 

Virgil seemed doubtful, searching his eyes for any sign of falsehoods, and slowly reached out, a silent question. Patton didn’t move or shy away from the touch, trying to convey that he really, truly trusted Virgil, that Virgil had earned that trust, not forced it. 

He ran a hand along the smooth feathers on Patton’s right arm, and a small, genuine smile appeared. “They’re really cool, Pat. Thanks for… thanks.” 

Patton beamed, puffing up with happiness, and threw himself at Virgil for a hug. The Human was big enough that his hugs were enveloping, but never overwhelming. 

The feathers made cuddling positions slightly more limited, but they still fell asleep to the same comfort of each other’s presence. After all, there was no reason for things to change, right?

Until they woke up, and suddenly things weren’t okay anymore. 


	4. escape

Patton woke to the feeling of rough gloved hands against his skin, pulling him up, away from safety.

For a moment, he tried to calm himself, believing that it was just another nightmare. He just had to take a deep breath and the memories would fade. 

He opened his eyes, and saw Virgil, body lax in deep sleep, the way he only got when Patton accidentally sapped too much energy. The subconscious draw from his newly emerged feathers must have affected him. 

The bruising grip on his arms didn’t vanish. He realized, with a sort of ice-cold horror, that this wasn’t a memory. They had found him. They were taking him.

Patton screamed. 

It was a hoarse, terrified sound, but Virgil stirred immediately, jerking awake with bleary eyes. He watched the Human take everything in, raw panic on his face, and he reached an arm out for Patton. 

A moment too late. 

The guards were on him in a heartbeat, two of them driving the shock rods into his sides. He convulsed, but continued to try and move, and a third, bulkier guard shoved him harshly to the ground, pinning him. Virgil howled and writhed, resistant to the last, until they increased the voltage. Patton cried out, watching Virgil spasm and then go horribly, agonizingly still. He received a heavy blow to the head for his efforts. 

“I told you so. I told you something was weird about this one.” A guard spoke over Patton’s head, smug and unconcerned. “We all know it’s not much of a fighter, for a Human.” 

“Ugh, whatever.” The other responded. “Never would have thought an Ampen could keep a human tranq’d like that. How’d it even survive down here?” 

The hand on his arm tightened, giving him a little shake. He didn’t respond, eyes still locked on Virgil’s lifeless form. There was a buzzing in his ears. 

“I guess it doesn’t really matter how. It just means we get twice the amount of harvest from this one.” 

The other guard shrugged. “I suppose. Let’s get a move on already.” 

They hauled him up, fingers digging into his flesh, loosening tender new feathers, and started moving out of the cell. Away from safety. Away from Virgil.

The thought made something snap in him, and he thrashed violently. “VIRGIL!” 

As though his voice was a signal, Virgil moved. 

He twisted under the guard’s arm like an Andlassian Viper and shoved his whole body, unbalancing his attacker. He rolled to his feet, frame listing oddly to one side, and the guards lashed out with the rods again and again, voices panicked behind their masks.

Shudders traveled through his body, but there was something wild and uncontrollable in his eyes, and he ignored the attacks, ignored the way his limbs twitched to charge at the guards holding Patton like a man possessed. 

One guard instantly dropped him, ducking away and leaving the other one, who was too slow on the uptake. Virgil slammed him into the wall, the guard’s head colliding with a crunch, and when he let go, the guard dropped to the ground limply. 

Patton scrambled back, out of the way and towards the door, and Virgil turned to him, concern softening his features for a blink. Behind him, Patton saw movement and shouted a warning, too late to prevent the guard that had dodged from going to wrap an arm around Virgil’s throat in a chokehold. 

Virgil ducked his chin, blocking the arm from properly constricting him, opened his mouth, and bit down. His teeth sunk through the fabric of the suit and the alien’s flesh alike, and bright pink blood spurted as the guard screamed in a language Patton didn’t know. The guard wrenched himself away, stumbling back, and Virgil backed up to shield Patton from view. 

He spat, baring his blood-stained teeth in a mockery of a smile, and hissed gutturally at the guards that weren’t unconscious, all of which were scrambling away into the back of the cell. Some of them were fumbling with communicators, and Patton grabbed the edge of Virgil’s hoodie, slowly backing them out of the cell with gentle tugs. Virgil refused to break eye contact until they reached the hall and the cell door closed, locking the guards in. 

Immediately, he turned to the locking panel and yanked it off the wall in one motion, tearing the wires and leaving the door stuck closed. They both stared at the tangle of optic cables and crumpled plastic in his hand. 

“Huh. Didn’t know I could do that.” Virgil muttered, voice on the edge of hysterics, and Patton felt a pang of reassurance. Strength or not, that was his Virgil. 

He pulled on the hoodie more insistently. “We have to run!” 

“Right, right.” Virgil said, voice still wobbly. 

Patton took the lead, and then a moment later found himself scooped into Virgil’s arms. The Human did have much longer legs, he admitted to himself as the hallway walls passed in a blur. They were fast enough to get out, they just needed-

“There!” He shouted, tugging on Virgil’s ear to guide his vision to the worn map on the wall. It’s covered in graffiti and stains, but still usable. 

“I can’t read!” Virgil blurted out, staring at the map blankly. Patton giggled, only slightly hysterical. 

“It’s okay, I can.” He found the docking bay, traced his eyes along the path. “Follow my lead!” 

Virgil did so without question, and their world became narrow corridors and shouted directions, twisting and sprinting and ignoring the sounds of klaxon alarms and heavy footsteps in the distance. Instructions would leave Patton’s mouth and Virgil was following them in the next stride, with no hesitation. As though they were on the same mental wavelength. 

Finally, they reached a dead end, and for a moment Patton panicked. Had they taken a wrong turn somewhere? They couldn’t risk wandering aimlessly! 

“Here.” Virgil pointed, drawing Patton’s gaze to the door he had missed. The label on it was faded, but Virgil seemed sure. They dove through, closing it behind them, and turned to the escape pods lining the small bay. 

The alarm had been raised for a while now, so they wasted no time in hauling open one of the latches and climbing in. Virgil was big enough to make it feel cramped, but they fit, and that was what mattered. 

“You drive!” 

“I what?” 

Patton dragged Virgil’s hands onto the steering panel, letting the autopilot begin to guide him through the process. 

“I can _not _drive!” Virgil yelled, trying to follow the instructions. 

Patton climbed over the copilot controls, calling on what he knew from years of wandering. “Learn quick!” He replied with manic cheer. 

There was a groan from behind him, but the small ship began slowly but surely detaching from the bay. 

As soon as they were in open space, Patton flipped the camo panels on, hoping they were advanced enough to avoid notice from the viewports of the smuggler ship. He opened up a star map, and quickly found the nearest habitable planet. They’d have to wear air filters, but that was a future problem, so long as they got out of here first. 

Course charted, he returned to Virgil, who was wedged into the undersized driver’s seat and muttering what Patton assumed were curses in his native language. He climbed over his lap to give him a soothing pat. “You’re doing great.”

“Oh good, because I failed my drive test at home.” Virgil replied, voice faint but biting. Still, he watched the panel attentively, carefully maneuvering his hands to guide them. It didn’t track perfectly since Humans weren’t keyed into the general database for autopilot, but it was good enough. 

A few rough patches later, Patton was desperately grateful for Human reflexes, and Virgil had loosened up slightly. 

“This… actually isn’t as difficult as drive a… um. As drive at home.” He said, slightly sheepish.

Seeing as he had just finished navigating them through a minefield of space debris as though he was born for it, Patton turned a little grey imagining what deathworlder vehicles could possibly be like.

Still, they made it through, and Virgil leaned forwards as the ship began passing through the hazy blue atmosphere of H18F, the small planet Patton had chosen. 

Everything seemed fine until they cleared the atmosphere and Virgil realized too late that he had no idea how to land. Patton struggled to figure out the controls for him, but the ground was approaching at a dangerous rate, and just as he managed to slow their descent, Virgil yanked him away, and everything went black. 

He woke up, which was great! 

Everything was oddly soft around him, and it took recognizing the fabric around him to realize that he was cradled against Virgil. The Human had grabbed him before impact and curled his entire body up as a makeshift shield of flesh. A living cushion.

“Virgil?” He said weakly, pressing a hand against the one curled around him. For a second, it was quiet, and Patton’s hearts seized at the thought that after all this, Virgil hadn’t made it. Had died protecting him. 

“Ugh.” Virgil moaned from above him, slowly uncurling his limbs. “What hit me?” 

“The ground.” Patton joked, his voice slightly choked up with relief. Virgil caught it, naturally, and shifted to look him over. “Okay?” 

Patton nodded, only feeling residual nausea from the fall. “You?” 

Virgil looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. “Hurts awful. But I will heal.”

He stared at the pod’s sparking interface. “Sorry. Broke it.” 

“It’s okay.” Patton reassured him. “Let’s get out of here?” 

Virgil nodded, and after they got back to their feet and strapped on air filtrators, he shoved his shoulder against the dented door hatch, popping it open. 

He climbed out first, checking around ever-wary, before giving Patton a hand up. 

The dirt was covered in dark brown foliage, and the violet sky was drizzling lightly, raindrops evaporating after they hit the ground. He held a hand out, watching the rain plop into it, reflecting the glow of his feathers. 

He looked at Virgil and found the Human’s face was already wet, a small, tremulous smile on his face. He found himself mirroring the expression as their eyes met. 

Their ship was ruined, they were in unknown territory, and they had no idea how to get home.

It didn’t matter. 

“We’re out.” Patton told him, disbelieving and joyful all at once. 

“We made it.”


	5. misunderstanding

-THREE MONTHS LATER-

Roman stared out the front viewport of their ship, ignoring the dust that was kicked up as Logan landed them without a hitch on the rough terrain. 

“Think it’ll be this one?” He asked without tearing his eyes away from the planet’s surface. 

There was an exasperated sigh from behind him, and Logan stepped up next to him, all willowy limbs and glass carapace. “It is as likely to be this one as any of the other leads we have checked out, Roman. We have only word of mouth about Patton being spotted in one of the more populated areas here.” 

Roman nodded, pushing the panel to open the ship exit bay. “Then let’s search it as thoroughly as the others, huh?” 

Logan clicked in agreement, and led the way onto their next lead.

They’d been searching for hours when it happened. 

After ages of scouring old campsites, talking to suspicious locals, and dealing with the local wildlife and atrocious weather, Roman was silently fuming. Soon, Logan would call the day a failure, and they would return to the ship for the night. 

Above them, the sky occasionally lit up with lightning, illuminating the surroundings brightly for a moment. It was building into a fine storm, one that would soon be dangerous, but Roman didn’t want to turn back. 

If Patton had been there, he’d have made a joke about the weather, eased Roman’s anger with the perceptive eye he had for emotions, lightened the spirits of the whole group. 

But Patton wasn’t there. Hadn’t been for far too long. And the two of them were falling into bad habits without him. 

“Roman.” Logan said, stiff enough that he already knew what the Ulgorian was going to say. 

“We can go a little longer.”

“Roman, the weather-“ 

“Patton could be out there in that weather! We can’t stop just because things get a little difficult. You do this every time- !” 

“Roman.” Logan interrupted, but this time his voice had changed, eyes locked over his ridged shoulder with something desperate in them.

Roman twisted around immediately, catching the soft, familiar blue glow in the distance. Without another word, he started towards it, barreling past prickly foliage with desperate hope building in his chest. The closer he got, the more certain he was that it was Patton’s hue, Patton’s glow-

He burst into a small clearing, stopping short at the sight of fewer feathers than he’d expected, and in that moment-

Lightning flashed. 

Roman stared at the wide-eyed Human, sitting in the middle of a fresh campsite, familiar feathers hanging from a cord around its neck. 

For a moment, he was crushed under the weight of the grief and shattered hopes. 

In the next moment, he was enraged. 

He found himself halfway across the clearing before he even realized he was charging, and though the Human was fast enough to roll away from his horns, it wasn’t fast enough to avoid the swipe of his claws. He watched with vicious satisfaction as the Human reeled back with a curse, four bloody lines running from its collar to its cheek. 

He registered Logan calling his name distantly, but all he could do was lash out again and again, knowing that Humans had taken another priceless part of his life away. 

The Human shifted into ferality as though it was made for it, eyes going empty and hard, flinging its body unnaturally to avoid blows and roll with hits. Roman kept swinging, scales sticking out aggressively to make him as big and sharp as he can be, and eventually he realized that he was screaming, slipping into the heavy, drawling tones of his native language as he cursed the monster out. 

From a distance, Logan was still at his back, hurling small, sharp projectiles and preventing the Human from circling him properly. The Human cast an irritated glance every time one hit, and Logan called out to Roman. “The toxins aren’t working, Roman!” 

“Yeah, it’s a Human, what’d you _expect?_” He called back, grunting between words as he struggled to keep the Human on the defense. Human attacks were insane, the only option was to prevent it from striking at all. 

Unfortunately, in the next second, lightning flashed, and Roman was blinded by the contrast for a moment too long. The Human kicked out, sending him sprawling back. He realized that the Human must have counted the gap between strikes before now, and braced for the follow up attack that was sure to come. 

It didn’t come.

He climbed to his feet, staring at the Human. It was looking around nervously, an eye on Roman as it backed up. Did it have others with it? Roman felt a chill. He could maybe take one Human, but multiple? They’d be doomed, and while he was furious, Roman refused to lose Logan too. 

He sprinted forwards while the Human was distracted, head low. If he could just take this one out before it called for others, they could escape- 

_“Stop!”_

A small, blue blur found its way between him and the Human, and he pulled up short at the harsh whistle, skidding to a top. 

There stood Patton, feathers bright and puffed out as far as they would go, arms spread wide- and his back to the Human. Roman froze, as though any sudden movement would prompt the deathworlder into action. 

“Patton.” Logan said calmly from behind him, only the slightest tremble in his voice giving away his fear. “Step away from the Human.” 

The Human in question was heaving loud breaths, eyes darting frantically between Roman and Logan, limbs twitching. So Roman couldn’t really be blamed for the hoarse, pained sound he made when Patton turned to it and held his tiny hands out, as though soothing a small forest creature instead of a Literal Human. Behind him, he could hear Logan’s spines shifting.

Patton began speaking lowly in what sounded like nonsense, and the Human dropped to its knees next to Patton. Roman twitched forwards, but it… wasn’t attacking. It was simply sitting there, leaned over Patton without removing its eyes from either of them, arms braced around the Ampen not threateningly, but- protectively? 

“It’s okay, Virgil. I know them. They’re my shipmates, they won’t hurt me and- and I won’t let them hurt you, okay? Promise.” Patton said, chirping almost soft enough that Roman couldn’t hear it. The Human seemed to understand, muttering something back in a mix of Common and Patton’s home tongue. Patton bobbed his head, reaching out and patting the Human’s uninjured cheek. Roman felt as though he’d stepped into an alternate universe.

“I’m going to go and say hello to them, okay?” Patton told him, and the Human- 

The Human just slowly withdrew, straightening up so it wasn’t hunched over Patton, tucking long arms up against itself. Patton bared his teeth at the Human, prompting a strangled squeak from Logan, and then turned and hurtled towards the two of them like a bright blue star. Roman bumped foreheads with him, Patton standing on his toes to reach, and for a moment he was able to forget the Human standing mere meters away. 

“I’m so happy to see you guys.” Patton said in a tearful whisper, clasping a hand with one of Logan’s delicately. It said something about how deeply Patton’s absence had affected them, that Logan allowed the gentle touch. 

In the next moment, Patton had reached up and grabbed Roman’s ear, tugging harshly on it. “So what were you _thinking,_ pulling a stunt like that! You could’ve gotten seriously hurt, and you already did hurt Virgil!” 

“Virgil?” Roman echoed, dumbly. Patton rolled his eyes, pointing at the Human, who was watching Patton anxiously while pretending not to. “You _tamed_ it?” 

Patton’s feathers flared up angrily, and he pulled harder on Roman’s ear. “_He_ is my friend and the only reason I got off that smuggler’s ship instead of dying a slow and painful death, so you _will_ be nice to him or else!” 

“But Patton- !” 

“Of course.” Logan cut in, ignoring the dirty look Roman sent him. “You are the only person I know who could get kidnapped and come back with an adopted Human, Patton. I assume the feathers around his neck are a token of friendship, like the ones you gave us?” 

“You assume right!” Patton preened for a moment, and then broke away from them, gesturing. “Come on, come meet him!” 

Roman made a noise of objection in his throat, but Patton was already bounding back to the Human, who folded in to listen. Logan began to walk over as well, and he dug his claws into the ground in protest. “Logan! Come on, you of all people know this is a bad idea!” 

The Ulgorian paused for only a moment, raising an eyebrow at Roman. “I do. But I trust Patton, and I know you do as well.” 

Roman groaned as he walked off, following only a second after. He wasn’t willing to leave his friends alone next to a Human. “It’s not Patton I have to worry about trusting…” He muttered. 

The Human eyed them warily as they approached, stiffening his back slightly. Patton was a tiny figure against him, but Logan was around half his size, and Roman nearly matched him for height. Logan approached with his eyes obligingly averted, but Roman glared at him head on, refusing to submit. 

“Virgil, this is Logan and Roman! Lo, Ro, Virgil!” Patton said, nearly sitting on the Human with how close he was. The Human didn’t seem bothered by this at all, a hand nearby for Patton to lean on if he lost balance.

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Logan started. “I want to thank you for helping Patton and making sure he didn’t get hurt.”

The Human stared at Logan for a long moment, making Roman bristle, and then seemed to register the words. “Oh. Uh. yeah. He helped. I would not have got out without him.” He spoke slowly, occasionally stumbling over a word. He was pressing a sleeve to the cuts on his body and avoiding eye contact with the both of them, though his lips twitched upwards when Patton made a strange handsign at him, baring his teeth again. 

Logan jabbed a crystalline elbow into Roman’s side, and he hissed in protest. “Yeah. A pleasure.” He grunted out, resisting the urge to let his lip curl. Logan sighed and continued.

“I apologize for using my toxins on you. I have an antidote if you need it.” 

Virgil blinked. “Uh, don’t worry about it. It just feels like mosquito bites, to be honest.” 

“Earth bug.” Patton explained when Logan looked at him quizzically. The three of them all shuddered at the thought of Earth fauna. There was a pause, and Roman very pointedly did not apologize for the sluggishly bleeding scratches along Virgil’s face.

“Well, we should get going, then!” Patton broke the silence, still occasionally reaching out as though to check they were really there. Roman’s heart broke a little each time, cursing the smugglers that had taken him away.

Virgil nodded, jerky, and then stood, making everyone but Patton flinch back slightly. “Sorry.” He muttered as he made his way over to the supply bags at the campsite and then carried them over to Patton. 

“Well-trained.” Roman sniped in his own language, and Patton gave him a sharp look. Virgil stepped back a bit, accidentally drawing all their attention. 

“Uh. Stay safe. Don’t get kidnapped. Again.” He added, with a casual expression that didn’t quite fit with the desolate look in his eyes. Patton tilted his head, confused, but Logan spoke first.

“Is Virgil not coming with us?” He asked, curious.

“Yes, of course he is!” Patton said.

“No, don’t worry.” Virgil said at the same time. 

They looked at each other with surprise. Roman felt a spark of hope; was the Human going to stay here after all?

“You… you don’t want to come?” Patton asked, antennae flattening. Virgil reacted as anyone should to Patton’s feelings being hurt, waving his hands to dispel the thought. Roman tried not to twitch at the erratic movement. 

“I do! I mean, I would. But they’re your family. They’re here to take you home. I helped you survive, but I doubt they want a Human in their home.” Virgil said, and though Roman had just been thinking that, he hadn’t expected the Human to _acknowledge_ it. “It’s okay, I’m good at surviving. You don’t have to… look after me, Patton.” 

Patton’s feathers were all slicked down now, and his voice was tremulous when he spoke again. “Virgil… _you’re_ part of my family! You deserve to have a home, too. I’m not gonna leave you alone again. Not even if that means staying here on this planet until the rest of my family comes around.” 

Virgil blinked, eyes wide, and Logan cut in. “I don’t think that will be necessary. Though you may have trouble with some of the shorter doorways, our ship is plenty large enough to accommodate a Human. There may be some… culture clash, so to speak, but you have shown little to none of the traits assigned to Humans by rumor, and I don’t believe you have malignant intent.” 

Oddly enough, the Human looked to him next, disoriented. Roman snorted, crossing his arms. “Don’t expect my blessing. I don’t trust you, like, at all, but… we owe you a debt of gratitude. Giving you a proper place to stay will have to suffice.”

The Human shuffled, discomfited. “Patton is clever. He could have gotten out on his own, eventually. You don’t owe me anything.” 

Logan looked ready to jump in with a depressing factoid about survival rates, so Roman sighed dramatically. “Yeah, but he would have been alone. Thank you,” He forced out through gritted teeth, “for being there with him.” 

Him. Thanking a Human. He never thought he’d see the day. 

Still, it seemed to have done the trick. The Human exhaled slowly, glancing up at them. 

“Okay. I’ll… I’ll come, then?” 

Patton cheered, and then scaled the Human like a tree, settling on a shoulder and telling Logan to lead the way. Virgil seemed very used to the perch treatment, and Roman tried and failed to not be jealous that he was too spiky to offer his own shoulder. Logan began to talk about what medicine they had aboard the ship that was presumably safe for Humans.

Roman sighed, looking up at the storm overhead as they hurried back to the ship. 

He had a feeling this was going to be a rocky adjustment period. 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Deathworlder Down](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25897732) by [LadyoftheWoods](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyoftheWoods/pseuds/LadyoftheWoods)


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